Term
| Qualification for TX Governor |
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Definition
1. At least 30 years old
2. A citizen of the U.S.
3. A 5-year resident of the state preceding his/her election. |
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Term
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Definition
Currently $150,000 annually
It was $116,000 in 2006, but $4,000 until 1954. Voters must approve an amendment to raise the salary. |
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Term
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Definition
| If the governors leaves the state or dies, the Lieutenant Governor becomes acting Governor. |
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Term
| Governor's Removal and Tenure |
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Definition
Governor’s Removal From Office: Impeachment by the Texas House, & trial by the Senate.
Tenure of Office: 4-year term with no term limits. |
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Term
| Constitutional Role of Governor |
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Definition
The Texas Constitution of 1876 removed a lot of powers from the governor and gave them to the Legislature.
As a result, the head of Texas Senate (Lieutenant Governor) and the leader of the Texas House of Representatives (Speaker) gained a lot of powers through the Legislature. |
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Term
| Governor's Legislative Role |
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Definition
The governor has the power to veto bills passed by the legislature, but the legislature has the power to override his veto by two thirds majority vote.
In comparison with the governors of other states, Texas governor ranks about 49th in powers available to him. He uses mostly the informal power of persuasion to get things done. |
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Term
| Appointive and Dismissal Powers of the Governor |
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Definition
Texas Governor has indirect, not direct control over policy by appointing people with his views to head executive departments. Most appointments are from 4-6 years duration.
Texas Governor’s removal power is weak but appointees can be removed with 2/3 vote of the Senate.
Before Ann Richards became governor, most appointees were male Anglo. Richards brought in many women and minority senior officials. |
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Term
| Restraints on the Budgetary Powers of the Governor |
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Definition
There are four restraints on the Governor’s budget authority.
1. Governor must share budget formation with the legislature or state agencies.
2. Funds are earmarked for specific expenditures & the choice on how to spend the money is limited by previous actions.
3. Governor shares budget execution authority with others in state government.
4. There are Limits on the Governor’s use of a line-item veto for the budget.
Texas Governor has weak budgetary powers. |
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Term
| Texas Bureaucracy: A Plural Executive Branch |
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Definition
1. Power is decentralized in Texas government.
2. Members of the governor’s “cabinet” are elected by voters; so, governor has no control or power over them.
3. Texas executive branch has no overall central governing authority. This gives Texas a “plural executive branch”. |
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Term
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Definition
| He/she is the legal counsel to the Governor & the legislature on civil law, represents state in litigation & enforces child support laws, death penalty appeals. |
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Term
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Definition
| Replaced the office of Treasurer. This position is responsible for investing state funds, collecting state sales tax, property tax audits & appraisals. |
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Term
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Definition
| Administers the state owned land, 20.3 million acres of land. |
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Term
| Agriculture Commissioner of TX |
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Definition
| Promotes agriculture products, regulates the use of pesticides, certify measuring devices such as gas pumps. |
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Term
| Texas Railroad Commission |
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Definition
1. A 3-member board, with a 6 year term.
2. Controls all intrastate commerce.
3. Elected state-wide.
4. Controls all oil & gas production.
5. Regulates the trucking industry.
6. Set rates to be charged by local natural gas companies. |
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Term
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Definition
| A 15-member board elected from districts. Has charge over elementary & secondary education in Texas. |
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Term
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Definition
| Appointed by the Governor, responsible for elections, record keeping. He/she is chief election official & keeper of state records. |
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Term
| Commissioner for Health & Human Services |
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Definition
He/she is Spokesperson for the Governor in health & welfare matters. Governor appoints this position with a two-year term
Over 11 separate health & welfare programs |
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Term
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Definition
| Governor appoints 2,500 members to 285 state boards, Texas has 38 separate professional licensing boards & 12 college governing boards. |
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Term
| Public Utilities Commission |
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Definition
It has three commissioners who have jurisdiction over phone and electric companies.
The commissioners serve 6-year terms. |
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Term
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Definition
| It is headed by one commissioner who is appointed by the governor to run the Department of Insurance which regulates insurance companies. |
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Term
| Sunset Advisory Commission (Sunset Review) |
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Definition
Created in 1977 to review bureaucratic agency in Texas every 12 years.
This agency has a 10-member (4 senate, 4 representatives, and 2 public members) review board that recommends changes or rarely to discontinue the agency.
Since its establishment the commission has reviewed 376 agencies, abolished 33, combined 13, and separated 2 (as of 2006). |
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Term
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Definition
The U.S. Constitution established the U.S. Supreme Court & gave Congress the power to create other "inferior" federal courts. Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution makes national law "the supreme law of the land."
The 1876 Constitution of TX created the Court of Appeals (and later, the Court of Criminal Appeals). Growing caseload has prompted the Texas legislature to create lower courts through constitutional amendments. Most cases go to state courts, not federal courts. |
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Term
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Definition
1. Trial courts are localized, limited to a geographic area, such as a county.
2. Only one judge presides & each court is considered a separate court.
3. Citizens participate in a trial court activity (juries & witnesses)
4. Trial courts are primarily concerned with establishing the facts of a case.
5. Trial courts announce decisions immediately after the trial is finished. |
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Term
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Definition
1. They are centralized often at the state level.
2. More than one judge presides.
3. Citizens' participation is absent.
4. They decide points of law not points of fact.
5. Texas death penalty cases are automatically appealed to the Texas Court of Criminal appeals |
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Term
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Definition
1. They are presided over by a Justice of the Peace.
2. They hear cases involving misdemeanors.
3. They hear mostly traffic violations and minor civil cases. |
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